In automotive and other fields, quick connector couplings, which generally include a male member received and sealingly retained in a female connector body, are often utilized to provide a fluid connection between two components or conduits, thus establishing a fluid line between the two components. Use of quick connector couplings is advantageous in that a sealed and secured fluid line may be established with a minimum amount of time and expense.
A number of methods and mechanisms exist for securing the male member and female connector body of a quick connector coupling. One type of retention mechanism involves use of a retainer inserted through slots formed in the exterior of the connector body. Beams extending through the slots are positioned in abutting contact between the male member upset and the rearward surfaces defining the slots to prevent withdrawal of the tube. Such retainers are often referred to as “horseshoe” retainers. Examples of this type of coupling are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,846,021 and 7,390,025. These arrangements include a secondary or redundant latch that provides additional security against unintentional separation and also confirms complete connection during the assembly process.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,390,025 discloses various arrangements of connectors with horseshoe type retainers and a redundant latch/verifier. The specification and drawings of that patent are incorporated by reference herein.
Quick connector couplings such as disclosed in U.S. application for patent Ser. No. 11/411,504, filed Apr. 26, 2006, and published as U.S. 2008/0007053 on Jan. 10, 2008, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,774 on Feb. 3, 2009, provide the advantage that in the latched position, the redundant latch/verifier prevents unintentional release of the tube. The redundant latch/verifier is able to independently retain the male member of the tube in the connector body should the primary retainer fail. Such couplings provide the additional benefit that the redundant latch/verifier cannot be moved to its latched position unless the associated tube is in its fully inserted position. Its extended position provides a physical and visual indication that the tube is not fully inserted. The specification and drawings of that application are hereby incorporated into this application by reference.